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Links Group offer advice on wealth of business opportunities in UAE at PartnerME 2012

This week, I (Joe Hepworth, Commerical Manager at Links Group) will be in the UK for ‘PartnerME 2012’, run by UKTI, the British Embassy’s UK Trade & Investment. Partners for this event include, the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, British Expertise, and the Middle East Association.

I am one of the participants in the daily ‘Doing Business in the UAE’ roundtable participating on behalf of Links Group. Other speakers include regional experts from HSBC, Middle East Association. Clyde & co, Eversheds and Trowers & Hamlin.

Also coming from Dubai is David Harris from the Department of Economic Development FDI organisation.

The main focus for the event is looking at opportunities for UK firms in the major infrastructure sectors such as Airports, Rail & Metro, Construction, Water, Healthcare and Education. Links Group have 10 years substantial experience in these industries with previous international clients tapping into opportunity in Dubai, Abu Dhabi & Qatar.

About the EventPartner ME 2012: Your Gateway to the Dynamic Middle East Market
is a three centre initiative involving one-day events in London (5
March), Cambridge (6 March) and Manchester (7 March). We will be
targeting an audience of 100-150 innovative and high growth companies in
each location and aiming to provide them with a one-stop-shop of expert
advice, information and contacts covering all major Middle East markets
(the 6 Gulf States, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Iraq and Israel).
The events primary focus will be on those sectors identified as
presenting the best opportunities to UK firms over future years:
Airports, Rail & Metro, Construction, Water, Healthcare and
Education.

Learn from experience – A programme of interactive panel
discussions and seminars on opportunities across the Middle East
markets, including the latest on-the-ground briefings on the business
and political climate from UKTI commercial officers and experienced
business people. In all cases we will aim to showcase companies that
have succeeded in Middle East markets and seek to pass on practical
information, tips and advice.

Stay ahead of the competition – Programme of One-on-one meetings with UKTI commercial staff from the Middle East Markets.

Get practical advice on your next steps- Access to expert advice
from a broad range of business support organisations based in or
focused on the Middle East – including national trade & investment
promotion organisations; trade associations, International Trade
Advisers (ITA’s) and Middle East embassy staff based in the UK.

Why the Middle East
The Middle East continues to one of the most dynamic and potentially
rewarding regions in which to do business and an increasingly important
global trade, transport and services hub thanks to its strategic
geographical location (the bulk of UK exports to the UAE are shipped on
to the wider Middle East, East Africa and Asia).

Governments across the Arab world continue to diversify their economies
away from hydrocarbons, and invest oil and gas wealth in both ambitious
new infrastructure and the education and training of fast-growing
populations. British companies have the technology, skills, experience
and know-how to support these developments and have traditionally
performed strongly in the Middle East, helped by long-standing UK-Middle
East political and trading links; the wide use of English in business
circles; and the respect held for UK goods and services.The Middle East region offers opportunities for UK companies in all
sectors, but significantly so in Airports, Rail & Metro,
Construction, Water, Healthcare and Education.

In 2011, bilateral trade between the UK and the Middle East topped £25
billion. The Middle East was the UK’s sixth largest export market
globally – on a par with China and India combined – with exports of
around £13 billion. While UK exports of services to the Middle East
brought in over £8 billion worth of income to the UK in 2010.